Kejser Franz Joseph Fjord, Northeast Greenland National Park , 9/16/2023, National Geographic Endurance
Aboard the
National Geographic Endurance
Arctic
What an amazing day in the world’s largest national park. We sailed deep into Franz Joseph Fjord, beginning with an incredible sunrise (at a very civilized hour now that it’s fall) over the giant icebergs in the fjord. The mountains were lit up pink as we sailed into our anchorage for the morning, and it was a quick Zodiac ride to shore for one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve done in Greenland. After an elevation gain, we finished at a red lake with perfect views of the snowcapped mountains in the background. We spotted muskoxen as we sailed even deeper into the fjord to find the source of all the icebergs: Waltershausen Glacier. Six miles wide and seventy miles long, she was incredible to behold. Surrounded by harp and ringed seals, ivory gulls, and giant icebergs, it was a glorious day.
Kim is a marine biologist, fine art photographer, and avid fisherman. Based in Juneau, Alaska, Lingít Aaní, she spends her time between the mountains and the ocean. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Cognitive Neuroscience from the Unive...
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Reine is one of the most beautiful places in Norway with her stunning granite peaks and colorful fishing village. It was a pleasure to spend the whole day here
exploring from the mountaintops to the undersea.
This morning we woke up at Hellemobotn at the inner end of Tysfjorden. This is a roadless and truly scenic fjord in northern Norway. The weather was rainy but cleared up just as our guests were set ashore. After breakfast, most of our guests chose to go hiking into a beautiful pine forest. The hikers followed a marked trail that reaches into Sweden. The medium hikers got up to a splashing waterfall, whereas the “long-long” hikers fought to an elevation of more than a thousand feet, reaching above the treeline. We saw lots of mushrooms and various wild berries along the trail: blueberries, bog bilberries, crowberries, and cloudberries. Our photo specialists gave useful advice to those who wanted to improve their photographic skills in the field. Hellemobotn is a tiny Sámi village that was permanently inhabited by Sámis until 1967. Sámis are an Indigenous group of people from Norway, through Sweden and Finland, and into the western part of Siberia in Russia. Families that originally came from a settlement of reindeer herders further east of Tysfjorden made their living in Hellemobotn as sea Sámis, combining salmon fishing, hunting, and small scale farming. Today, the houses and cabins in Hellemobotn are used by the descendants for leisure purposes only. During World War II, Norway was occupied by German Nazis, and many Norwegians had to flee to Sweden. Northern Norway is narrow, and many fleeing Norwegians got help from locals to find a safe route to the Swedish border. In the late afternoon, we entered into Trollfjorden, a scenic fjord with an extremely narrow entrance. Captain Oliver Krüss and his team gently maneuvered National Geographic Endurance through the narrow opening and turned around in this little fjord in a very impressive way! The day was rounded with the Captain’s delightful welcome dinner. What an incredible day of exploration in the fjords of northern Norway!
Early, as the day brightened, National Geographic Endurance was found under dark skies and choppy waters. A few juvenile gulls and shags were spotted as the ship made her way into the beautiful Norwegian fjords. By breakfast, we had reached our destination, the charming little village of Torsken. Soon enough, there was an announcement telling us about the outside conditions and sharing orders for disembarkation. As always, excitement for the first activity of the expedition was palpable. After everyone made it ashore, which involved a short ride in the ever trusty Zodiacs, we gathered around our guides for a hike up the valley behind the village or a walk around the village. Before the walk, we were invited to a charming wooden house from the mid 1930s for a sampling of local foods and beer. There was a local waffle with a typical cheese and jam, a piece of flatbread with a delicious spread of salmon, roe, and herbs, and, last of all, a piece of dried cod that paired beautifully with the local beer. Once finished with the sampling, we headed for the charming little church and small gravesite. Inside, we were met by two very helpful people who shared the history of the church. From there, we proceeded to investigate this spot; along the way, we observed the salmon farm. Every day, the farm sends off an amazing one hundred tons of fish to be consumed elsewhere. We saw rowan trees heavy with red berries, roadside plants in flower, and an occasional clump of mushrooms. Lunch was spent on board as the ship changed its location for afternoon adventures. Immediately after our meal, we had the opportunity to meet the field staff and scientists in the Ice Lounge. The afternoon was so different than what we had experienced during the morning. Winds had picked up and blew at 25 knots with gusts considerably over that, which made Zodiac rides to and from the beach landing quite an affair. But, of course, that was no deterrent for us expeditioners. We headed into the elements, spotting some harbor seals and many terns along the way. The flat area around the landing, just beyond a small, sandy beach, was a verdant green with the surrounding mountains rising steeply in the background. The tops of the mountains were covered by dark, swirling gray clouds, giving the whole place a very atmospheric feel. It was stunningly beautiful. The weather led us all to return to the ship a little earlier than scheduled, which allowed us to fit in the first of the recaps, an opportunity to highlight aspects from the day and answer any queries that may have arisen whilst enjoying delicious cocktails prepared by our wonderful bar staff. This day has been most enjoyable, and it was a great introduction to our expedition.
